VOL. L.J PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 203 



LXVJ. The Case of a Boy troubled with Convulsive Fits cured by the Discharge 

 of tVorms. By the Rev. Richard Oram, M. A. p. 518. 



Joseph Postle, of Ingham in Norfolk, was subject to convulsive fits from his 

 infancy, which were common and tolerable till he was about 7 years of age. At 

 that time they began to attack him in all the varieties that can be conceived. 

 Sometimes he was thrown on the ground: sometimes he was twirled round like a 

 top by them: at others he would spring upwards to a considerable height, &c. 

 and once he leaped over an iron bar, placed purposely before the fire to prevent 

 his falling into it. He was much burned, but had been rendered so habitually 

 stupid by his fits, that he never expressed the least sense of pain after this acci- 

 dent. His intellect was so much impaired, and almost destroyed, by the fre- 

 quency and violence of his fits, that he scarcely seemed to be conscious of any 

 thing, except that he was very voracious, and would frequently call for something 

 to eat. There is no kind of filth which he would not eat or drink without dis- 

 tinction. He was much emaciated, and his body so distorted, that he was quite 

 a cripple. His parents consulted a physician, who very judiciously considered 

 his disorder as a worm case, and prescribed accordingly, but without success, being 

 afraid to give too violent medicines to the boy. It was observed, that the disorder 

 varied, and became worse at certain periods of the moon. 



In these circumstances the boy continued to languish till he was about 1 1 

 years of age (July 1757)? when he accidentally found a mixture of white lead* 

 and oil, which had some time before been prepared for some purpose of painting, 

 set by on a shelf, and placed, as it was thought, out of his reach. There was 

 nearly 4 a pint of this mixture when he found it; and, as he did not leave much, 

 it is thought he swallowed about 4- of a pint of it. There was also some lamp 

 black in the composition. 



This began soon to operate, by vomiting and purging him for near 24 hours 

 most violently. A large quantity of black matter was discharged; and an infi- 

 nite number of worms, almost as small as threads, were voided. These opera- 

 tions were so intense, that his life was despaired of. But he not only survived 

 them, but experienced a most wonderful change and improvement after them; 

 for he daily got better, from the time of his drinking the mixture, both in body 

 and mind. He became rather corpulent, his appetite moderate, and his body 

 erect. His understanding too was equally benefited. 



On the same Subject, in a Letter from Mr. John Gaze, of IValket in Norfolk. 



p. 521. 



This letter confirms the former account with scarcely any variation. 



* It is not improbable, that a considerable portion of whiting might be used instead of pure white 

 lead, which is frequently done; and this supposition is favoured by the mixtures not proving fatal 

 to the boy, as such a quantity of white lead in all probability would, — Orig. 



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